Votoms Bibliography, Part 3
The publications in this set represent a lot of dedicated digging, a lot of lucky discoveries, and a lot of patience. Some took years to track down while others just fell into my lap when I took the right turn on the right day. For each one, I have to wonder what else is out there that I haven’t found yet. But that’s just one of the things that makes me happy to wake up every morning.
MAGAZINES
If I were to attempt to track down every single magazine article ever published about Votoms, it would take the rest of my life and still never guarantee 100% success. So instead I’m focusing on cover stories and other significant blips.
Dual Magazine, 1982-1985
デュアルマガジン
Published by Takara, this quarterly magazine was named for its dual coverage of anime and modeling. It ran for 12 issues, capturing unique and imaginative coverage of Dougram, Votoms, Giant Gorg, and Galient. It was the birthplace of the expanded Votoms universe, fleshing out background and unseen mecha, and serving as the launch pad for Blue Knight Berserga. A lot of the content was never reprinted elsewhere, so these are a must for serious collectors.
Issue 4
8-page Votoms introduction and a 2-page Scopedog diagram
Color and B&W, 102 pages
March 1983, Takara
Issue 5
Color poster, 8 pages covering the Uoodo arc
Color and B&W, 102 pages
June 1983, Takara
Issue 6
Color posters, model photography, Uoodo and Kummen coverage, “AT Technology” feature, Brutishdog diagram, “Real Battle” simulation game
Color and B&W, 94 pages
Sept 1983, Takara
Issue 7
Color posters, model photography, TV series coverage, “AT Technology,” Berserga diagram, “Combat in Kummen” simulation game
Color and B&W, 94 pages
Dec 1983, Takara
Issue 8
Model photography, TV series coverage, Takahashi interview, AT History, Zwerg diagram, “Outer Space Fight” simulation game
Color and B&W, 94 pages
March 1984, Takara
Issue 9
Model photography, TV series coverage, encyclopedia, AT History, Rabidlydog diagram, “Chirico the Syura” simulation game
Color and B&W, 94 pages
June 1984, Takara
Issue 10
Model photography, AT History and technology, Blue Knight Berserga launch, “Armored Trooper” simulation game
Color and B&W, 102 pages
Sept 1984, Takara
Issue 11
AT History, Blue Knight Berserga continues
Color and B&W, 102 pages
Dec 1984, Takara
Issue 12
Blue Knight conclusion
Color and B&W, 102 pages
March 1985, Takara
Dual Magazine 3D Journal
デュアルマガジン 3Dジャーナル
This was the “little brother” of Dual Magazine, a monthly addendum that sold for about a dollar an issue (and commands MUCH higher prices on the collector’s market today). It ran for ten issues (Jan ’84 to Feb ’85) and contained product coverage for mecha anime alongside other Takara products such as Combat Joe. Get a look at some interior pages in my profiles for Giant Gorg and Galient.
Issue 1
Color and B&W, 28 pages
Jan 1984, Takara
Issue 2
Color and B&W, 28 pages
Feb 1984, Takara
Dual Magazine Special, Yourself
Edging into to the doujinshi world, this curious entry was a limited-edition spinoff of Dual Magazine supervised by Satoshi Chiba, the actual editor in chief. There’s no publishing date inside, but it likely came out in 1984/85 when the magazine was publishing the most creative Votoms content around. It features illustrations and modeling articles, some reprinted and some expanding on material found in the magazine.
Black & white, 40 pages
Undated
The next four entries are magazines that were published concurrently with the TV series and OVA followups. These are just the issues that contained cover stories. The show received plenty of vintage coverage during its original run, so spring 1983-spring 84 anime magazines are all likely to have something.
The Anime
Color and B&W, 188 pages
May 1983, Kindaieiga-sha
My Anime
Color and B&W, 174 pages
June 1983, Akita Shoten
Monthly OUT
Color and B&W, 168 pages
Nov 1983, Minori Shobo
Monthly OUT
Color and B&W, 170 pages
May 1984, Minori Shobo
Hobby Japan frequently published Votoms articles, since the original Takara model kits were popular, plentiful, and fun to customize. Garage kits were also quick to appear, giving hobby magazines plenty of grist for the mill. Again, these are just the cover stories. Fortunately, Hobby Japan would later publish collected reprints of Votoms material, starting in 1986 (as seen in Bibliography 1).
Hobby Japan No. 198
Color and B&W, 166 pages
Dec 1985, Hobby Japan Press
Hobby Japan No. 219
Color and B&W, 182 pages
Aug 1987, Hobby Japan Press
Hobby Japan No. 220
Color and B&W, 182 pages
Sept 1987, Hobby Japan Press
Hobby Japan No. 239
Color and B&W, 230 pages
Apr 1989, Hobby Japan Press
Hobby Japan No. 270
Color and B&W, 214 pages
Nov 1991, Hobby Japan Press
Hobby Japan No. 319
Color and B&W, 246 pages
Jan 1996, Hobby Japan Press
B-Club issue 67
17-page Votoms World article rounding up OVA, PC games, and garage kits, including the first concise media timeline.
Color and B&W, 114 pages
June 1991, Bandai
Animag issue 11
This was one of the first American anime magazines, and the progenitor of Animerica. It’s on this list because I wrote a Votoms overview for this issue. It may have been the first one.
B&W, 52 pages
1991, Pacific Rim Publishing
Animag issue 12
The article was extensive enough to spread over two issues, and I got to create an illustration for part 2. See a PDF of both parts here.
B&W, 52 pages
1991, Pacific Rim Publishing
Figure King No. 86
The 20th anniversary of Votoms was marked by a wave of groundbreaking products by new licensors, especially Bandai. Figure King covered them in 30 pages along with interviews and a series review.
Color and B&W, 192 pages
April 2005, World Photo Press
The entry of Bandai greatly re-energized the series with new anime and model kits, and Hobby Japan launched a “We are Votoms” series that ran for at least the next two years with photo features and product reviews. The new side story Commando Vorct started in issue 446, crossing over with a novella in Novel Japan magazine. Four Votoms covers in just over two years was a record for this normally Gundam-centric monthly.
Hobby Japan No. 433
July 2005, Hobby Japan Press
Hobby Japan No. 446
Aug 2006, Hobby Japan Press
Hobby Japan No. 458
Aug 2007, Hobby Japan Press
Hobby Japan No. 461
Nov 2007, Hobby Japan Press
The AT designs in Commando Vorct were authentic and extensive, created by Kunio Okawara himself, and inspired a whole new wave of custom model-building.
Dengeki Hobby magazine
Dengeki did a cover feature of their own, dedicating 30 pages to modelbuilding and more of the latest projects.
Color and B&W, 366 pages
Aug 2007, Media Works
Model Graphix No. 274
Model Graphix was no slouch either, lavishing 33 pages on a “Scopedog Anatomic Table” with custom builds, model kit history, and more.
Color and B&W, 152 pages
Sept 2007, Dainippon Painting
Hobby Japan Plus Vol. 4
This was another great find, 43 pages of classic Hobby Japan articles from the 80s and an extensive overview of product history since then.
Color, 130 pages
Dec 2007, Hobby Japan Press
Model Graphix No. 284
This issue was dominated by an amazing 39-page article that compared the anime Kummen to the real tropical Asian countries it was based on, with some Votoms modeling thrown in for good measure.
Color and B&W, 152 pages
July 2008, Dainippon Painting
Double R Mechanics Vol. 04
This short-lived spinoff of Model Art magazine focused on 80s robot models (RR stood for Robot Replica), and this issue spent 32 pages on painting techniques using Scopedogs as the subject.
Color, 120 pages
Jan 2014, Model Art Co.
Great Mechanics G 2017 Autumn
This is the magazine that carries on where so many others left off, exploring the art and craft of mecha anime. This issue contained a huge 30-page article on the Kummen arc.
Color and B&W, 98 pages
Sept 2017, Futabasha
Great Mechanics G 2019 Spring
The cover story in this one was a 26-page overview of AT history with a huge catalog of anime, side story, and game designs.
Color and B&W, 98 pages
March 2019, Futabasha
Great Mechanics G 2020 Summer
All magazines of this type periodically step back for broad views of the entire Sunrise mecha pantheon of the 80s, and Votoms is always an integral part.
Color and B&W, 98 pages
June 2020, Futabasha
HJ Mechanics 06
Another generous collection of Hobby Japan material with a satisfyingly deep dive into the model kits released since the 20th anniversary. Highly recommended.
Color, 130 pages
Aug 2020, Hobby Japan Press
Hobby Japan Vintage Vol. 9
This specialty magazine curates the busiest decades of anime-related toys and models. Volume 9’s cover story is titled Ryosuke Takahashi and Takara’s Troopers, investigating the production of Votoms and Galient models.
Color, 112 pages
February 2023, Hobby Japan Press
HJ Mechanics 40th Anniversary Special
Color, 98 pages
May 2023, Hobby Japan Press
To mark the 40th anniversary of the TV series’ debut (in 1983), Hobby Japan published this special in the HJ Mechanics series featuring photography of Scopedog models from various manufacturers, up to and including one that came bundled with the magazine.
This was an all-green version of the “minimum factory” Scopedog released in November 2022 by Max Factory. It comes together as a single-pose diorama-style figure standing a little over 4″ tall when completed.
Order it from Amazon.co.jp or CD Japan
DOUJINSHI (Fanzines)
This category of Votoms publishing is the hardest to collect, since the only way to obtain them is through second hand shops and online auctions. But if you search long and deep, you can come up with some real gems. Quality ranges across the board, from rank amateurs to seasoned pros, all of whom are in it for pure passion.
Douga Shonen (Picture Boy) Vol. 5
Votoms Part 2
Aug 1984, 130 pages
Douga Shonen (Picture Boy) Vol. 7
The Last Red Shoulder
Dec 1985, 70 pages
These are (so far) the earliest ones I’ve found. Douga Shonen was a long-running series that focused on a different film or TV show with each issue, and the depth of content is amazing – loads of production materials that could only have been obtained from the animation studio and extensive analysis found nowhere else. Since Douga Shonen Vol. 5 is part 2 of their Votoms coverage, I’m on a long-term hunt for part 1.
No, there is still some room for error
Vol. 9
Aug 1991, 76 pages
The content of this one is as odd as the title, a collection of disconnected manga stories from all over the place. It’s one of the weirder finds, only recommended for psycho fans.
Project FX, Astragius 7214
Unit Data Manual
Aug 1996, 72 pages
As part of a series of reference books for gaming, this one is light on illustrations and heavy on A.T. data with lots of charts and text to help you navigate through your RPG campaign. It covers A.T.s from the anime and Blue Knight.
Blue Gale Vol. 1
July 1992, 36 pages
Blue Gale Vol. 2
Dec 1993, 50 pages
This series is pure mecha porn, single-page, large-format illustrations (mostly B&W with some color) celebrating the most popular anime robots. Each issue includes Votoms content. Highly recommended.
Blue Gale 3
Aug 1995, 50 pages
Blue Gale 4
Aug 2002, 32 pages
Astragius Galactic System Encyclopedia
Aug 1998, 134 pages
Astragius Galactic System Encyclopedia Millennium
Aug 2000, 146 pages
These two are exactly what they purport to be, densely-packed encyclopedias of everyone and everything in the Votoms universe. The first edition has lots of spot illustrations, but the second edition is 100% text.
V20 Tribute Magazine, Vol. 0
Graphically speaking, this large-format magazine-style doujinshi is a parody of a similar Gundam publication titled G20 that marked the 20th anniversary of that series. It starts out as a light-hearted guide to the world of Votoms with the insufferable Kuan Yu as the main character and legend-in-his-own-mind. After a few pages of that, it takes a deep dive into manga history to examine revisions to the latest edition, and then presents the transcript from an exhaustive interview with Votoms manga artists (read it here). The rest of the book examines various print, video and game spinoffs with in-depth commentary each one.
Black & white, 66 pages
July 2001, Soudai Assemble EX-10
VOTOMS
April 2009, 12 pages
This ‘zine with the unassuming name contains excellent manga-style artwork and is far too short. It’s a rarity for this particular publisher, who is otherwise preoccupied with hentai.
Scopedog Decomposition Manual
Dec 2012, 76 pages
This incredible collection is packed full of Scopedog technical drawings, cutaways, and exploded views examining every nut and bolt of the main version and its many variants. A true labor of love by the author.
Black History Vol. 1
Aug 2012, 34 pages
Black History Vol. 2
Dec 2012, 26 pages
Despite the “loaded titles,” these two are 100% hardcore Votoms manga. Each reprints (in larger format) a story originally published in Bandai’s Cyber Comix; Excellent A.T. (from vol. 2) and Blue Songs (from vol. 3).
ATVP Doujinshis
ATVP is the name of a fan circle. The ATV part stands for Armored Trooper Votoms, but they don’t define the “P” for some reason. Could be Party. Anyway, their purpose is to flesh out the background of this world in the form of historical textbooks about the Hundred Year War, the men who fought it, and the mecha they deployed in. The first book to truly dive into this was Votoms Odyssey, and they definitely pick up where it left off with extensive illustrations and text.
Armored Trooper Votoms Military Illustrated
March 1994, 140 pages
Dec 1995, 176 pages
ATVP Illustrated History of Galaxy War III
July 1997, 56 pages
June 1998, 76 pages
July 1999, 70 pages
Aug 2000, 54 pages
Book No. 20, The Anthology 3
Undated, 208 pages
Mad Dog: Extreme of Votoms
Votoms Guild is the name of the fan circle responsible for these, and they’re a treasure trove for collectors outside of Japan. Each volume deep-dives into a different topic and curates page after page of content scoured from books, magazines, promo materials, instruction manuals, etc. Publishing dates range from 2001 to 2002, but some evidence indicates that they have been updated from earlier editions. I was invited to contribute an illustration for EX 1, and my Supreme Survivor graphic novel got some nice coverage in EX 5.
Dec 2002, 72 pages
March 2002, 118 pages
March 2002, 118 pages
Undated, 116 pages
Undated, 116 pages
Undated, 118 pages
Undated, 198 pages
Undated, 118 pages
MEKASENDA
This series is the work of a fan circle called Project Hurricane. It started out as a general-interest mecha ‘zine with a Votoms bias and went 100% Votoms with issue 8. Their mission is not only to pay tribute through news reports, illustration and product reviews, they also manufacture an extensive and very high-quality line of 1/20 Votoms garage kits, which they profile in these pages starting in issue 8.
See their complete garage kit lineup here.
Mekasenda
Aug 1997, 34 pages
Mekasenda 2
Jan 1998, 58 pages
Mekasenda 3
Aug 2000, 58 pages
Mekasenda 4
December 2002, 40 pages
Mekasenda 5
Aug 2003, 58 pages
Mekasenda 6
Dec 2004, 78 pages
Mekasenda 7
Aug 2007, 50 pages
Mekasenda 8
Aug 2008, 58 pages
Mekasenda 9
Dec 2010, 58 pages
Mekasenda 10
Dec 2012, 58 pages
Mekasenda 11
Aug 2015, 58 pages
Mekasenda 12
Dec 2018, 58 pages
Teihen Chronicle Vol. 01-06
This entry is categorized as Mekasenda 9.5. Roughly once a year, Project Hurricane publishes an 8-page pamphlet examining their latest garage kits. Here, they collected their first six pamphlets into a single volume, ranging from 2008 to 2016.
Dec 2018, 38 pages
The name Teihen can translate to “Lowlife,” which is in keeping with the original wordplay concept of “Votoms” as “Bottoms” to describe people in the underbelly, the dregs of society. Unfortunately, the English language wasn’t fluid enough to let that one through.
Teihen Chronicle Vol. 07
Aug 2019, 8 pages
This was the first pamphlet to be published after the collection of 1-6. Each of these is a continuing record of new kit releases and hobby shows where kits were sold.
Votoms Press DX
Dec 2021, 16 pages
This appears to be an expanded edition of Teihen Chronicle, picking up where issue 07 left off.
Teihen Chronicle Vol. 08
Aug 2022, 8 pages
Coverage of kits 37 & 38 with related news
Very interesting stuff, especially the ATVP books.